Yep, they're off to an early start this year. Three swoops, no contact. Fine, sunny day on the Tambo River.I think our exceptionally cold winter and floods and then some fine weather might have triggered the earlier than usual nesting.If that's as aggro as this one gets, good.

Same bird, same place. 3 points yesterday, 5 today. 3 swoops on the way out and 2 coming back. I don't mind when there is no contact and the weather is as good as the last few days, its all part of the fun. The maggies down here must be a bit more frisky than those in the warmer states. Spring is in the air. Total 8 points.

My new mate has turned into an ear clacker, left side each time and I think he is getting a bit more aggro. No strikes yet and its all still good fun, that is until he gets the taste for blood. Heaps of swoops and clacks all week, lost count. Conservatively 10 swoops. Total points, 18.

Two new birds have stepped up to the plate yesterday who are traditional culprits. Though their swoops I think where still getting their eye in as they only came to about meter off me, they did practice the good old wing crack to let me know they where there. I only noticed one swoop each the rest was just sizing me up.

Freemans Reach magpie has started. I lost count of the swoops (I was at a property in his territory, so it went on for the whole time I was there).

And I don't care how silly I look walking my bike while holding an umbrella until out of his zone, nor what ridicule passing cars throw at me... a magpie's beak may make blood leak, but jibes will never hurt me.

I also had a swoop (though it seemed half-hearted) elsewhere back in January... are there out-of-season bonus points?